Our guests are savvy users of technology and want to be able to access the information they are interested in when they want it. This helps our business look better to our customers and, by virtue of the commercial opportunity, it will help us generate additional revenue

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Scala Certified Partner Konvergence and its marketing customer, MuchMore Media (Italy), have launched an interactive touchscreen digital media network in more than 70 hotel lobbies across Northern Italy's Riviera Romagnola. Using a content-on-demand service in addition to traditional brochure or leaflet dispensers brings featured destinations to life, improves appeal to hotel guests and generates additional income for hotel owners.

Leaflet dispensers at hotels offer guests information on local points of interest, attractions, brands, restaurants and retail businesses. Having recognized that digital media could enhance the traditional leaflet display model and make it easier for guests to find information of interest, MuchMore, a leading Italian direct marketing agency and owners and operators of a hotel leaflet dispenser network, turned to Konvergence, a specialist in digital out-of-home solutions, to design an integrated leaflet and interactive digital signage unit that could offer current customers the opportunity to feature their businesses on the screens as part of a value-added marketing program.

"For as long as most of us can remember, when we visit a new destination the primary source for local information has always included a hotel's leaflet dispenser. Working with MuchMore, we looked at the model and recognized there were many ways to offer better user choice and operational and commercial benefits," said Patrizia Cicognani, Marketing and Sales Manager, Konvergence.

Content is stored locally on a PC installed within each freestanding unit. The system pulls live information from the Internet for content including local news and weather, event guides and, if applicable, updated pricing information. All 70 locations can be controlled, adjusted and monitored in real time from a network operations center run and managed by Konvergence.

In order to deliver this solution, Konvergence worked closely with Scala to design the multi-language, interactive graphic user interface, manage play-out schedules and the content assets (text, video files, RSS feeds and live Web-based content) and provide a mechanism for hoteliers to change or update promotional content or pricing. This process provided:

1. An improved user interface with higher-value, up-to-date, animated content categorized by interest.
2. Greater visibility for the host hotelier through on-screen branding and an enhanced lobby environment, as well as increased ticket purchases, a key revenue generator.
3. Increased revenue opportunities for media owners and operators by creating a larger amount of promotional inventory to sell and additional services such as content creation and screen media space sales to new advertisers.

"Our guests are savvy users of technology and want to be able to access the information they are interested in when they want it. This helps our business look better to our customers and, by virtue of the commercial opportunity, it will help us generate additional revenue," commented Lorenzo Spadini, owner of the four-star Corallo Hotel in Riccione.

In the future, the network may allow for hotel operators to extend information to other screens on site, including in-room televisions.

"MuchMore and Konvergence have created an exciting and scalable business by identifying where value can be added for hotel operators, while and at the same time cutting costs for media owners. It is an excellent development and a great case study for demonstrating how digital media can enhance and improve traditional media businesses. We're delighted to have been part of the original development and look forward to continuing that relationship as the network grows," said Oscar Elizaga, VP EMEA, Scala.

Konvergence offers a wide range of innovative IT solutions and services for the retail industry and is an Italian market leader in retail store solutions. Through its strategic partnerships, Konvergence is able to offer the best integrated solutions and services available in the market ranging from digital signage and strategic management surveys to comprehensive CRM and supply chain projects. Konvergence has local offices in Bologna, Milan, Ravenna, Rome, Pescara and Campobasso. More information is available from http://www.konvergence.it.

About MuchMore

MuchMore was founded in 1993 in Bologna. The agency has significant experience in the direct marketing field creating and managing promotional campaigns in Italy and abroad. MuchMore is able to provide a full suite of marketing and operational capabilities, and its experience in direct marketing adds value to digital media developments. More information is available from http://www.muchmoresrl.com.

About Scala

Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world's first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company's digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen, Audi, ECE Flatmedia, Kaufhof (Metro Group) and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries. More information is available at http://www.scala.com.